


caught

by stuff_and_nonsense



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fantastic Racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-13 20:09:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16025105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuff_and_nonsense/pseuds/stuff_and_nonsense
Summary: Caleb and Nott have a run-in with some Crownsguard.





	caught

They’re seen once, not long before they get to Trostenwald. They’ve just pulled off a con, a big one, where everything had seemed to go right for once. Caleb’s patter was smooth, the mark was enthralled with greed, Nott was silent as a ghost, and they’d come away with nearly thirty gold. They’re giddy in an alley, high on the adrenaline of it, imagining what they’ll get with the spoils – the books, the decent food, the real bed. The streets are quiet, and they’ve not even been pursued, so they get too comfortable. Nott drops her hood, and pulls her mask down around her neck so she can smile at him. Caleb, still reeling from their success, scoops her up and kisses her.

She returns it enthusiastically. He staggers back a bit under her weight, leans against the alley wall as they embrace. Her hand cards through his hair, and her small quick tongue darts into his mouth.

That’s when the lantern light hits them.

“What the fuck?” someone says, from down the alley. Nott squirms out of his grasp. Her mask and hood go up, but it’s too late – she’s certainly been spotted. 

The two men move closer. Crownsguard, each with a lantern pointed right at Caleb and Nott. Caleb's back is to a wall, and his mouth is dry. Nowhere to run, and no excuses he can think of. He knows what the men see as they approach him: a filthy beggar, a stranger in their town, with a small monster crouched by his feet.

They might beat him, but they're not likely to kill him for this. For Nott there's no such guarantee. "Go!" he whispers down to her. "I'll catch up." She's loyal but she's not stupid; she takes off running, shooting past the men and disappearing into the street beyond.

“Shit, was that a goblin?” one of the guards says to the other. “What’s one doing all the way up here?” He pulls a sword out of its sheath, holds it between him and Caleb. There’s still some distance between them, but not nearly enough for comfort. Caleb makes very sure his hands are visible.

“Want to explain?” the other guard says to him. “Did you bring that into town?”

He takes a gamble. “Thank god you showed up,” he says. “That thing came out of nowhere and attacked me. I didn’t know this city was so beset with creatures.”

The guards exchange a look. They’re clearly not buying it. 

“That’s not what I saw,” one of them says. “It looked to me like a dirty traitor doing something obscene with a murderous beast, but I’ll give you one more chance to correct me.”

“She is my traveling companion,” Caleb says. “She’s left her tribe, because she hates what they do. She’s no harm to anyone.” The guards look skeptical of this. “We’re leaving town tomorrow morning,” he adds. “Tonight, if you’d prefer.”

“I think that would be a good idea,” one of the guards replies. “What were you doing here in the first place?”

“We’re traveling north,” Caleb says, “trying to get back to my family and away from hers. We came into town to buy supplies and look for work - I pick up odd jobs when I can.”

“And you wound up traveling with a goblin how?”

“We met on the road,” Caleb lies. “I was attacked by a wolf, and she saved me. I was frightened at first, of course, but she’s proven me wrong over and over.”

“And what about what you were doing when we got here?” says the other guard, a younger man. “Do you have an explanation for that?”

Caleb looks at the ground. Faking shame comes easily. “That is our private business, ja? We were hurting nobody.”

“I guess it’s not illegal….?” says the older guard. “Just pretty repulsive… Don’t you worry about diseases? Or getting bitten? Those things have nasty little teeth.” 

Caleb stays silent. He hopes Nott is too far away to hear this, although it’s unlikely.

“Fine,” the guard says after a bit. “Not really my business. I’m sure you have some sob story about what led you to this point.” He gestures to the other guard, who puts his sword away. “Listen, I’ll give you two options,” he continues. “One, you call back your goblin friend and we escort you both out of town right now. Two, you spend the night at the stockade where we can keep an eye on you.”

“We’ll leave tonight,” Caleb says immediately. “But how do I know you won’t just kill her if I call her back?”

“We really should,” says the younger guard. “But if they’re leaving town I guess it’s the same difference.”

The other one nods. “As long as they’re out of our hair. They won’t last long anyway if they keep this up further north.” He turns back to Caleb. “You’ll just have to trust the integrity of the law. We won’t hurt her if you both get out of here now.”

He still doesn’t have many options. If they try anything, he’ll just have to attack and hope that he’s fast enough. He nods, and calls out to Nott.

“I’m over here!” she says, from the shadows some sixty feet away. The guards both startle as she steps forward, hands raised. “I’m going to leave right now!” she squeaks. “No trouble, I promise!”

Caleb moves over to her, and they follow one of the guards out of town, moving slowly through the dimly lantern-lit streets. The other walks close behind them, hand on his sword. It’s a relief that the streets are nearly empty, and that they quickly reach the outskirts. There’s a stretch of cleared ground ahead, and then the familiar woods. The guards stop as they pass the last building, and he hears one spit on the ground behind them as they continue on. He takes Nott’s hand in his, and together they disappear into the night.


End file.
